Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Mykala Keckeisen | Meet Culinary Specialist (Submarines) 1st Class Spencer Fitzsimmons, a Recruit...... read more read more
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Meet Culinary Specialist (Submarines) 1st Class Spencer Fitzsimmons, a Recruit Division Commander (RDC) at Recruit Training Command (RTC) Great Lakes, the Navy's only boot camp.
Most people don't associate fine cooking with life beneath the ocean's surface. Fitzsimmons did, and it's the reason he's in the Navy at all.
"The Navy appealed to me because I could take a career path in the culinary arts," Fitzsimmons said. "I joined the submarine force specifically because food on a submarine is, for the most part, completely from-scratch cooking. That's what met my desire to pursue the culinary arts after high school."
A native of Caledonia, Michigan, Fitzsimmons was drawn to the Navy by the promise of stability and the rare chance to retire before 40. What kept him was the work itself, and the moments that came with it.
The most unforgettable arrived in one of the most unforgiving places on earth. During Operation Ice Camp, on the Arctic ice, Fitzsimmons hosted and provided food service for the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, members of Congress, and other distinguished visitors.
"The high stress and high reward of leading my junior Sailors to nothing but absolute success will forever be engraved in my memory," he said.
That instinct to lead, and to stretch beyond what was expected of him, was shaped by a mentor in the fleet. Chief Alex Albrecht pushed Fitzsimmons out of his comfort zone, and it changed the kind of Sailor he became.
"It's hard to compare the success of a culinary specialist against, say, a nuclear engineering rate," Fitzsimmons said. "Once I qualified everything there was to qualify as a culinary specialist, I started qualifying outside of it."
He became a member of his boat's Small Boat Handling Party, earned his Below Decks Watch qualification for a deeper understanding of engineering, stood watch as a lookout to learn navigation, and took on maintenance in the galley.
"Because he pushed me past what I was comfortable with, I became a significantly more well-rounded Sailor," Fitzsimmons said.
Today, Fitzsimmons has traded the galley for the quarterdeck. After pushing divisions as an RDC, he now works as a Fleet Quality Assurance (FQA) Inspector. In this role, he regularly performs uniform and drill inspections for recruits during Basic Military Training and trains RDCs across the base, making sure the recruits who pass through the quarterdeck of the Navy are trained properly and safely.
The reward, he said, is watching Sailors rise.
"There's no better feeling than watching your junior Sailors win," Fitzsimmons said. "At this point in my career, I'd take watching my Sailors advance, win their Of the Quarter and Of the Year boards, and get picked up for officer programs over anything else."
He's clear-eyed about what makes the job hard. Turning a civilian into a basically trained Sailor in nine weeks is a demanding proposition, and he believes the real learning never stops once training ends.
"Doing the job is where you truly learn your craft," he said.
Fitzsimmons describes recruit training as breaking a person down as an individual and building them back up as a Sailor. The moment it clicks looks different for every recruit, but he knows it when he sees it.
"The 'ah-ha' moment differs from recruit to recruit, but when it happens, it's a pinnacle moment for them," Fitzsimmons said. "It's a good feeling to see the light bulb turn on."
He's also honest about the days when the work is hard to carry, and about who gets him through them.
"My wife is truly my foundation," Fitzsimmons said. "When I have a rough day, I know that when I get home, she's going to be there and make sure I'm ready to go for the next one. I couldn't do this job without her by my side."
Looking ahead, Fitzsimmons hopes to make chief petty officer. He has one year left at RTC, and beyond it, his sights are set on returning to the sea.
"In five years, I see myself back on a submarine, protecting everyone and everything I have back home," he said. "Getting back into the job I signed up for, and leading Sailors to achieve nothing but the best while we're down there."
Fitzsimmons continues to support RTC's mission by ensuring recruits receive proper, safe training on their way to becoming Sailors, helping them leave boot camp with the discipline, confidence, and foundation needed to succeed in the fleet.
Training at RTC lasts approximately nine weeks, and all enlisted Sailors begin their Navy careers at the command. More than 40,000 recruits train annually at the Navy's only boot camp.
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2026 14:52 |
| Story ID: | 573076 |
| Location: | GREAT LAKES, ILLINOIS, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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